WITH GOOD CAUSE - BUREAUCRATIC DISCRETION AND THE POLITICS OF CHILD-SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT

Theory: Open systems theories of administration suggest that implement ation of a federal policy should reflect the systematic effects of sta te-level conditions on bureaucratic discretion. Hypotheses: Usage of t he good cause exemption in the child support enforcement program will vary systematically across states depending on the internal and enviro nmental characteristics of stare bureaucracies. Methods: A pooled time -series model is used to analyze patterns of exemption in the fifty st ates for 1990 through 1992. Results: Discretionary use of the good cau se exemption is systematically affected by partisan control of state g overnments, the values of state administrators, the funding decisions of elected officials, and the levels of demand placed on the bureaucra cy.